My opinion:don't declaw. Had a Siamese who had it done, made her defenseless. Scratching is an expression for a cat. I have scratching posts in every room almost. When the outdoor cats come to the window, and after the indoor cats sit and exchange stories with them, they both walk away.Then the old scratching post gets a workout. Must have been some hot news, for the old scratching post really gets scratched hard. So, if it was my kitty, don't declaw